Information Architecture

Summary

Ensure that the structure and layout of your site’s content reflects how your users see the world. Use the correct display techniques to show users what you offer.

Details

Good search engine ranking is not enough. Once users land a page within your site they need clues to tell them where they are and, if they aren’t on the correct page, where to go next.

About 40% of users express a preference for navigating rather than using in-site search to find information. This number is much higher on most intranets, where search tends to suck.

  • Stop creating navigation that mirrors your organization or product lines, start building structure that fits with your users’ needs
  • Stop adding new menu items, or the dreaded “More stuff” menu – instead, re-order into an expandable, flexible hierarchy
  • Reduce bounce rates, increase sales and help people self-serve by creating a navigation structure that makes sense to them and lets them get where they need to go
  • Create a more efficient, effective and satisfying navigation structure that reflects the way users perceive content on the site

First we perform a review of your existing site’s structure and navigation system. As part of this review we suggest alternative navigation techniques and improvements to your existing navigation methods that will help your users to find what they need.

Then, we get direct user input on how the information on your site should be structured.

The main tool that we use is card sorting. This technique allows your users to describe how they view the features and content available in your product or site. Analyzing responses from a set of representative users allows us to construct an aggregate view of the hierarchy and categories they perceive.

After creating a new information architecture we then verify it with a second, reverse sort where users describe where they would go to find features and content given the structure we have created.

We also offer improvement metrics to demonstrate the success of the redesign. By running this reverse sort against the existing architecture as a comparison, we can show the level of benefit and efficiency that users will now enjoy.

This whole exercise can be run in person or online, making it a highly cost effective way to have major impact one of the most neglected areas of a site or product.

Deliverables

After running the card sort sessions and reviewing your current site’s or product’s structure and content we produce a report detailing both what to change and also how to change it.

  • A new navigation structure that works the way your users expect
  • Recommendations on how to implement the structure across your site or application, including main and secondary navigation, footer area navigation, site maps, use of pop-up, contextual and mega-menus, see also links and all other navigation aids
  • Wireframe sketches and examples of suggested navigation techniques at work on other sites

Price: US$ 45,000 – see our Pricing page for more information

Duration: typically three weeks

Prerequisites: access to existing navigation structure and/or detailed list of tasks that can be performed/items found on the site or in the product.

Next steps

To find out more and to discuss how redesigning your site’s structure can bring large improvements, talk to us by e-mail: info@ [this site’s domain]